Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: New Perspectives

A day off from school turned into a foggy outing at the Discovery Museum in Sausalitio. We've been here several times, but this was the first trip that I saw James play with the other kids, and be so confident in exploring all the play spaces and structures. Just when I thought they might be getting too old and jaded for this great place, the kids showed me there was still plenty of wonder and play to experience there.

For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.


and ... Wordless Wednesday

Little Moments of Duality

It may be January, but we're in the middle of a Spring Preview. The daytime temps have risen from in the 40s to the high 60s. You can smell the promise of growing things. We can see the sun set, throwing outrageous displays of colour in the sky and a few high clouds, each day lasting a little longer than the one before. It's quiet in a peaceful way, but you know it's not going to last once the season changes over.

The kids and I seem to be pushing out and growing in a random direction, then pulling in and going out again in a far-off position. We are excited and hopeful, but we know we're not yet back to truly longer days and warmer weather.

James has been verbally pushing to engage with others, inviting play, yet becoming almost fiercly protective when it comes to turn taking. He's asking me to play specific songs on the CD player in the van, but still can't tell me how his day went. He gets extremely frustrated trying to master the Leapster 2 game cartridges, and I've seen him trying to figure out chess by himself on an old clamshell iMac. To say nothing of the toilet training progress and regressions.

This afternoon he went from trying to ride his bike inside the house to crying "NOOOOO!" and hiding under his blanket 20 minutes later when I tried to get him outside to cruise the neighbourhood with his sister on her bike.

He was a little punky, clapping his hands over his ears and doing headstands in the sofa when I tried to get him to clean up his toys. Then a few minutes later he was on my lap, giving me a huge hug and telling me that I was his favourite animal.

I go from a chance to make dinner or read, with the kids playing in a bedroom with the door shut, to the phone ringing while James is calling "Mommyyyyyyyy!" and his sister exclaiming "James, NO!!" After dinner, I juggle cleaning the kitchen, sorting laundry, making sure James is well on his way to sleep, while responding to requests to help my daughter with her homework.

I did get a glorious hour of work in the garden, and within 20 minutes of coming inside I had a morning meeting booked and also made a promise to bring sour cream to a PTA event on Friday. At the end of the day, I watched my daughter pour out her bedtime glass of water. She's still wearing princess jammies, but she is tall and starting to look so grown up. I am trying to write this all down, so I can remember the blurring rush as it happens, and the calm moments when I try to savour them all.

Magic Marker Monday: Tattoos

We had some excitement last week. Our gym spent 5 days celebrating 20 years in the business. There were lots of treats and special events. James and his sister spent a little more time than usual in the Kids' Club. All the kids really liked how the staff applied glittery gold, temporary 20th Anniversary tattoos all over themselves.


So James' sister decided she could make up some of her own at home. First, she used her washable Crayola markers to create tattoo designs:

Then, she did some on herself and everyone else in the family who would stay still long enough for application. James was uncharacteristically still for his tattoos:

L-R: blue sunglasses, a car, and a spider.

L-R: a green porpoise, a flower, and Santa Claus (with an interesting grin)

Lots of love on each palm

We had the opportunity to check them out over lunch. I had no idea they'd gotten this enthusiastically carried away. Luckily, they disappeared after swimming in the late afternoon (our weather's been a bit zany):

Visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday creations!


  

Two Steps Back

Hello, constipation, our old nemesis! I got a call on Friday afternoon, with less than an hour to go until the end of school. James was crying and asking to use the bathroom a lot, with more crying as the only product. He was done for the day.

I picked him up, after sighing mightily on the way over; 45 minutes doesn't sound like much of a difference in a day, until it's suddenly gone from my "Me" time, before a 3-day weekend, when I'll have most of the kid duty.

Once home, I asked James about how he was feeling, his tummy in particular. He kept saying "I fine," yet emitted little wails about 20 minutes apart. No fever. Refused food. Mmmm, hmmmm. All stopped up, in more ways than one.

No going out that night, we had to cancel our plans for a Date Night. I felt guilty for getting him off his schedule on Thursday by going to the gym's daycare later than usual. James will use the bathrooms there, but only if he *must,* so it's pretty safe to say that was less than helpful for his digestive process. We were late for the gym because his sister's homework had piled up, in part because no assignments were done on Monday, James' birthday, and it took a while to get all the work finished.

About an hour into our impromptu night home, James become unstopped. I was told they were record-worthy in mass. He relaxed and became his normal, cheery self, which is a relief. However, we've reverted to pull ups at night again. We've had to step up wiping tutorials.

One little thing. Or maybe nothing in particular. And we're set back and our lives get put on hold for a bit. I know in the scope of what's out there that this is small. It doesn't feel like that, right when it happens.

"B" is for Buddy

James is feeling chummy this afternoon. He had a substitute aide today unexpectedly, but weathered it very well. They were good buds by the end of the day. After I picked him up, James asked to play on one of the playground structures with a score of other kids. He climbed confidently all over and took a ride down the slide. When he was done, he came over to me, exclaiming "You're here!"

On the way home, he embraced each and every stop sign that we passed, looking up at the sky and laughing at it. We looked for cats and found our number at the mailbox station, so we could pick up our mail.

Now we are in his room, geeking out together. "Mommy, you come stay here with me?" Of course I will! He's either snuggling next to me or on his Leapster 2; I've got my laptop fired up:

He's sure having fun trying to talk with me:
-- "Deeeear Santa. Whatchyou want for Christmas on the ceiling?"
-- "My Diego Go (game) is here!" and
-- "Mommy, 'b' is for bird bikes."

"B" is also for buddy, whom I love.

Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: Recharge

James is a totally on or off kind of guy. Usually by the time he's in sleep mode, I am too tired to do more than a final cleanup sweep of the house and shoe-horn his big sister into bed. But he had such a good time on his birthday this week that I could not resist catching him peacefully asleep. Recharging. So he can face tomorrow head-on, with me struggling to keep up with him.

For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.


and ... Wordless Wednesday

Birthday Boy

James celebrated his birthday today. For the first time ever, he became excited in advance (as in a month before the event) and kept asking us "Is James' birthday?" We counted down and talked a little about birthdays and what people do on their birthdays.

We practiced social verbal birthday exchanges and responses such as
 -- "How old are you?"
 -- "I'm six!"
and
 -- "Happy Birthday!"
 -- "Thank you!"

James asked if he could have a cake and picked out the flavours for both cake and frosting for this and the cupcakes to share in his class. He helped me make them as well.

He opened his cards first and looked at them before moving on to presents. "I ripping?" he'd ask us. "Yes, it's okay to rip wrapping paper," we'd assure him. I am glad he checks, because occasionally some items are Destroyed By Ripping.

In some past years, we'd be baffled what to get him. This year, we knew we had some winners:

Happy Birthday, James! And many, many more!